On the Road with Jennie

Today I'm visiting over at Jennie Jones' blog Jennie Jones Romance. Jennie is a real sweetie and her book The House on Burra Burra Lane was recently released into the world via Escape Publishing!

A dilapidated house, a city girl looking for a tree change, and a rugged vet with a past. Just another day in rural Australia…

Sounds great, doesn't it? It's waiting for me on my Kindle as my treat for surviving Report Card season (assuming I do survive it...).

Jennie's got some great questions for me over at her place today! Pop on over to see how cowboys and fudge are in my future! See ya there :)

Nicole Flockton & A Giveaway!

Please welcome Nicole Flockton to the blog today!

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My Journey to Today 

I’ve read romance novels pretty much my whole life. I started with the Sweet Dreams Romances and then graduated to Harlequin Mills & Boon books. As I got swept away in the stories a little seed of ‘I could do this’ started to grow.

I remember the job I had before I had my daughter.  When my bosses were away and I had some time I would open a word document and would take an idea and start a story. I would only ever get about between 500 – 1000 words down. Eventually after my daughter was born I sat down and started writing my first novel. I can’t remember how long it took me to write it but I know it was over a year. Then I let it sit for ages before I got involved in a critique group and then really started to learn my craft and fix that manuscript up.

A lot of people put that first manuscript at the bottom of the drawer or under the bed or in the attic. I loved my first manuscript and so believed in that story. It did sell and is now “Bound By Her Ring”. To see that book up on Amazon is the most amazing thing.

But it went through numerous re-writes and had two rejections before it finally found its home.

My first book published “Masquerade” only went through one rejection before it was picked up by Crimson Romance. Since then I’ve been lucky that Crimson have liked what I’ve proposed to them. Let’s hope it keeps up.

The one thing I’ve learned along the way is that if you want the dream you have to reach out and grab it. You can’t wait for it to reach out and grab you. But sometimes it’s so scary to reach out. What if they hate me? What if they tell me this is the worst writing they’ve ever seen. All possible, but then you get the “I ugly cried at the end of your book”. Or “I loved this book so much I went and found what other books you’ve written”. Those comments make taking the leap all so worth it. For if I hadn’t stood on the ledged and jumped to the other side, I wouldn’t be getting my third book published. It was a scary leap but has been so worth it.

Whether it be in writing or maybe changing careers, have you ever taken that leap?

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Blurb for Rescuing Dawn:

He helps save lives, now he wants to save hers.

Dawn Granger has loved and lost and it’s a road she’s not prepared to travel again, that is until her past turns up and has her questioning her resolve.

Andrew Holmes has sailed the globe numerous times, when he almost loses his life, he decides he needs to give something back so he returns home and trains as a paramedic. When he runs into his former sweetheart he is surprised to find an attraction he thought dead come to life. When he sees the sadness in Dawn he knows he will do anything to make her smile again.

Dawn tries to resist Andrew but their past pulls at her in ways she thought long dead. Can she trust a man who's run out on her once before? Can she risk putting her heart on the line again? Or will it all be taken from her again.

Read an Excerpt

Read Reviews

Buy Links:   Crimson Romance         Amazon          Amazon UK       iTunes          Kobo

 

On her very first school report her teacher said ‘Nicole likes to tell her own stories’.

It wasn’t until after the birth of her daughter and after having fun on the community board of eharlequin.com that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book.

The stories she writes are contemporary romances with either a medical setting or in the boardrooms of high powered business. Nicole enjoys taking two characters and creating unique situations for them.

Apart from writing Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, and her two fabulous kids.

There will be a kindle copy giveaway of RESCUING DAWN to one commenter!

Nicole on the web:

Website      Facebook     Twitter     Author Page

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So, how many of you have taken that leap that Nicole has?

Quirky

I'm the first to admit I'm a quirky person. I don't fit the mold - any mold.

Growing up, my parents often joked that I must have been switched in the hospital. No one else in my family loves the things I do. They're all list-making, linear, logical thinkers who can organize the heck out of a room, a desk, a house, a wardrobe and a life. Me? Well...

I love science fiction & rom coms & musicals & sports, but don't ask me to watch relationship reality shows (*shudder*). I don't own a dress or shoes with heels. I don't like hot climates. I eat the same thing for a snack and a lunch at school every day. I cry at sappy commercials - every time I see them. All my socks are the same so I don't have to worry when the washer/dryer eats one... I think I'd better stop there. :)

This post lists a lot of fun writer's quirks! So does this one. I kind of want one...

But, sadly, I don't have time for writerly quirks and if you pop over to From the Write Angle today, you'll see why.

Hope to see you there, but before you go, what quirks do you have? Any suggestions for me?

Elliot's Tough Questions

The charming Elliot Grace over at So Close, But... has tagged me with the Liebster Award! The rules are simple, offer 11 fun facts about yourself, answer 11 questions provided by Elliot, pass the award on to 11 blogger pals, answering 11 new questions from yours truly. 

On to Elliot's (really hard!) questions...

1) What is your favorite genre to read?
I love so many genres! Currently my fave is definitely contemporary romance, but I also love fantasy, sf, mystery, YA & MG (I know those last 2 aren't genres--humour me) and more!
 

2) Pizza or pasta?

This is another hard one! We live in a town with a TON of fantastic Italian restaurants. I've been to bigger cities with more famous places and tried a variety of popular chain restaurants, but there is nothing that beats our local pizza & pasta. Nothing! My heart is a little torn with this question, but I think I'll go with pasta!

 

3) If you were to be stranded on an island and could choose one book to take with you, which would you choose?

AHHH! Can I have an easy question please??? Okay. I'd bring Lord of the Rings. I never tire of Tolkien's characters!

 

4) If you could choose to have dinner with one writer, in order to pick his/her brain, who would you choose?

Nora Roberts! She is such a prolific author. She's written a mind-boggling number of best-selling romances and each character is unique and intriguing. Her In Death series has an incredible cast of repeat characters and each book keeps getting stronger!!

 

5) Who is your choice of musician for inspiration while writing?

I never listen to one musician at a time. I always set my iTunes to shuffle. My tastes are pretty eclectic with music too - I've got everything from classic rock to easy listening to jazz to blues to country to Motown to pop... So it would depend on the scene I think!

 

6) The Walking Dead, or Breaking Bad?

Sadly, neither. I've stopped adding new TV series to my schedule. There's just not enough time to watch and do everything else I want to do so I haven't seen either of these.

 

7) If you could choose an actor to play the part of lead role in your book, who would it be?

Another tough one! I actually think Chris Pine would make a pretty good Jaz in the book I'm hoping to pub later this year.

 

8) Do you prefer writing in the a.m or p.m?

Both! I am a morning person, but for most of the year, the job gets in the way. During the school year I tend to write after 9 p.m. once family life has slowed down. In the summer I have more freedom and write whenever I can.

 

9) What is your best antidote for writer's block?

Try something else. I currently have 4 stories in various stages of editing and another one I'm drafting. For a person who thought she was a one draft at a time writer, it's a bit of a shock, but it works!

 

10) When going on vacation...drive or fly?

I'd love to fly to more places but the wallet usually says we drive. My hubby likes to drive so that leaves me free to read too!

 

11) Name the city that tops your bucket list to visit.

So many! Probably Hong Kong. Or New York. Or Rome. Or Cairo...

 

And 11 fun facts about me...

1. I hate/despise/detest/loathe housecleaning
2. My dad and I used to always shop for bonus 'as is' presents for people for Christmas on Christmas Eve when the stores were nuts and the crowds desperate. We got some really strange items and had a ton of fun!
3. I used to walk along the tops of swing sets as a kid
4. I've never owned a pet even though I love animals
5. Although I'm Canadian, I'm a rotten skater. Actually I can skate pretty well, it's the whole stopping thing I never mastered
6. I make an awesome lasagna!
7. I want to go on an African photo safari one day
8. Although I don't watch too many TV series, I'm kind of a sports nut and often have sports on in the background when I'm writing
9. I LOVE teaching Math!
10. When I'm baking/cooking I rarely measure anything - that would take the mystery out!

I won't tag anyone specifically, but if you'd like to play along, please do!

Tell me one fun fact I don't know about you!

Better is ... Better

Better is:

• taking your time to make sure it's right
• learning your craft
• thinking first and talking later
• thinking first and doing later
• being proud of what you've done and said
• helping others with what you've learned
• having fun along the journey
• being open to new ideas
• taking risks
• stretching your brain and your skills
• much more than good enough
• making mistakes in private, not in public
• sometimes painfully, achingly, tortuously slow
• better!

What do you have to add?

Point of View Choices

The other day I had a fantastic conversation with my students about point of view. Specifically we were comparing first person and third person pov.

I'm currently reading aloud The Hobbit and one of the students commented on the story-telling voice. Another compared it to the voice in The Giver (which was our previous read aloud). One student is reading The Hunger Games and commented that it's all told directly from Katniss' pov.

Soon everyone was checking the novels they're reading and one commented that she was reading an older book (Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume) & she wondered if when the book was written had an impact on pov. Cue the checking of copyright dates and a discussion about why and how styles have changed.

After we'd delved into it for a bit, I asked them which pov they prefer to read. Very few students had a distinct favourite - the almost universal answer was "It depends on the story."

I LOVE MY JOB!!!

We proceeded to list the advantages of both povs. Here's a synopsis of their thoughts. Remember I'm dealing with 10 - 12 year olds.

Advantages for 1st:

• you get to really feel what the character is feeling
• you get to see everything that affects the main character
• you get to feel like the story is happening to you at the moment you're reading it
• the pace usually seems faster & it's harder to put down

Advantages for 3rd:

• you get to see & know more than the main character sees and knows
• you can get to know more characters really well (they like stories told from 2 alternating povs)
• it's cool to see the same events from different perspectives 
• you can get that cool story teller voice that works for some stories
• it's easier to have different styles of stories and voice

Once again, I think they hit the highlights!

So, how about you? Do you prefer 1st or 3rd, or do you think it depends on the story as well?

When I Grow Up...

When you're a kid, people are always asking what you want to do when you grow up. It's exciting to think about the future and dream. Kids can hope without boundaries and dream really big. In my opinion, those are some of the best kinds of dreams. As we become older, our dreams become constrained by logistics and life in general. Too bad.

Like most kids, I dreamed big and dreamed often. Some people have always known what they wanted to do with their lives. Not me. Almost everything seemed enticing (still does). Over the years some of the jobs I dreamed of were pretty diverse:

• marine biologist
• rancher
• sports reporter or analyst
• physicist
• librarian
• photographer
• producer/director of Broadway plays or movies
• cartoonist or animator
• computer programmer
• researcher
• chef or baker
• psychologist or art therapist for kids
• scientist in the field of artificial intelligence
• special effects person for the movies
• astronaut
• photojournalist for National Geographic
• athlete (tennis or volleyball, sadly I definitely lacked the talent!)
• and, of course, writer and teacher

That's only part of the list of the careers I seriously considered - I do have eclectic tastes! Obviously I drove my parents batty over the years delving into all kinds of topics and career research. It took me forever to make a decision!!! And who knows what I'll try once I retire from teaching!

I'm over at From the Write Angle today talking about the life/growth cycle of dreams. I hope you'll join the discussion!

So, out of curiosity, what were your dreams when you were a little one? What did you want to 'be'?